A fine taste of oak

New casks must age to get a picturesque patina.

Whether the taste of oak has any right to be in a wine or not is a matter of taste. Whether this taste should originate from casks, that are several hundred years old, or a shovelful of wooden chips thrown into the steel vat will actually produce the same taste, is maybe more than anything else a matter of romanticism.

Though my sense of this does not really go as far as expecting to see these little pieces of oak paddle around in the vats in Champagne as well. But I may lack imagination of course.

So far the guardians of the holy, French AOC's - the authority INAO - is doing its best to keep the chips far away from at least the French AOC'wines. Thank you INAO.

What a strange idea it is to copy the taste of oak casks into steel vats this way. Rather than accepting the fact that wines from oak tastes one way, and from steel another. A matter of fashion, taste and money. (Debate at the European Parlament on the wooden chips).

Heritage from the romans
Originally however, the barrels were a practical way to store everything from cereals and salted fish to wines and other beverages.

The method was invented by the practical and creative romans, that of couse also invented systems to label the barrels, so they had a chance to know what was inside and where it came from. The containers of those days were used as early as the first century AD.

Sometimes barrels are still the best system available. Even the oak casks here in Champagne are not as numerous as before, they are still around, and are often used as part of the marketing as well.


Renewal of oak cask.

Reserve wines in casks
It is just so much more romantic to show patinated, old casks with inserted, new barrel staves at places rather than the huge steel vats, where the result of the annual vendange normally will fermentate the first time. Of course it is.

The casks tell their own story with keywords such as craft, tradition, loving care. Just what you need to ask for a few more euros per bottle than your neighbour.

When it comes to reserve wines, that is, the wines from earlier vintages, that are used to blend the cuvée to reach the right taste, many like to age it in oak casks. Our cooperative for instance, even it has probably not excactly been the forerunner of this wave.

Oak or steel
A champagnehouse like Bollinger age their reserve wine in casks, because it is thougt to be better this way. They use steel vats too though, when it is thought to be as good as casks.

In another top house, Krug, the first fermentation takes place in oak casks, which as far as I know, is rather unique. However, nobody boasts about it. They leave that to the customers. Krug does not boast. People, who invest their money in a bottle of Krug, already know what they get for their money. The proverb "Less is more" is always a winner, if you have the guts.

Not everybody likes this treat though. I have met people who compared their first glass of Krug with a trunk in their mouth. Not excactly what they expected. But maybe the experience is also connected with the fact, that they drank one of the younger Krugs. The speciel style of the house is said to develop to its best after some years. I would love to try it myself.

Now of course we can all do a Krug... just add some wooden chips to your steel vats, and you are already half the way, right?

På dansk

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